John 9 with Metaphysical Footnotes (ASV)

^9:1And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. ^9:2And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind?1 ^9:3Jesus answered, Neither did this man sin, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.2 ^9:4We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.3 ^9:5When I am in the world, I am the light of the world. ^9:6When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed his eyes with the clay,4 ^9:7and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent).5 He went away therefore, and washed, and came seeing. ^9:8The neighbors therefore, and they that saw him aforetime, that he was a beggar, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? ^9:9Others said, It is he: others said, No, but he is like him. He said, I am he. ^9:10They said therefore unto him, How then were thine eyes opened? ^9:11He answered, The man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to Siloam, and wash: so I went away and washed, and I received sight. ^9:12And they said unto him, Where is he? He saith, I know not.

1. who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind? The inquiry indicates a previous incarnation of the man in the flesh body, where it is possible he may have sinned.
2. the works of God should be made manifest. the perfect ideas of a perfect man-Idea in Divine Mind.
3. We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day. When the inspiration of God moves us and we respond and do His will, we have the “day,” or the light, and we should act upon our inspiration. On the other hand, if we neglect to do the will of Him that sent us, we shall sink into darkness, ignorance, “night.”
4. anointed his eyes with the clay. Clay represents materiality. This is to be washed away before the material-minded person can see with the eye of the mind or use his innate powers of discernment.
5. wash in the pool of Siloam. Siloam means “sent,” “sending forth, or putting away.” To wash in Siloam is to deny all belief in materiality and affirm the spiritual nature of all substance.

^9:13They bring to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.1 ^9:14Now it was the sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. ^9:15Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. And he said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and I see. ^9:16Some therefore of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, because he keepeth not the sabbath.2 But others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such signs? And there was division among them. ^9:17They say therefore unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, in that he opened thine eyes? And he said, He is a prophet.

^9:18The Jews therefore did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight,^9:19and asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? How then doth he now see? ^9:20His parents answered and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: ^9:21but how he now seeth, we know not; or who opened his eyes, we know not: ask him; he is of age; he shall speak for himself. ^9:22These things said his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man should confess him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. ^9:23Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.

^9:24So they called a second time the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give glory to God: we know that this man is a sinner. ^9:25He therefore answered, Whether he is a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. ^9:26They said therefore unto him, What did he to thee? How opened he thine eyes? ^9:27He answered them, I told you even now, and ye did not hear; wherefore would ye hear it again? would ye also become his disciples? ^9:28And they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are disciples of Moses. ^9:29We know that God hath spoken unto Moses: but as for this man, we know not whence he is. ^9:30The man answered and said unto them, Why, herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence he is, and yet he opened mine eyes. ^9:31We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth. ^9:32Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. ^9:33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. ^9:34They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.3

1. Unity Bible commentary says that the main theme of this lesson is the teaching of the quickening of spiritual discernment, that is, how to see with the inner eye. The Ed Rabel commentary says "the works of God are needed here, not an analysis of how it came about." We should not ask "why did this happen" but rather "how can we heal."
2. This man is not from God, because he keepeth not the sabbath. The Pharisees regarded the keeping of the Sabbath day as a commandment to be observed in the letter. They did not understand spiritually.
3. And they cast him out. The Pharisees (traditional faith) casts out (one whose spiritual vision has been quickened) because faith that is rooted in tradition has nothing in common with Truth for Truth's sake. Its foundation is the authority of past leaders and thinkers, not Truth itself.

^9:35Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and finding him, he said, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?1 ^9:36He answered and said, And who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him? ^9:37Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and he it is that speaketh with thee. ^9:38And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.2 ^9:39And Jesus said, For judgment came I into this world, that they that see not may see; and that they that see may become blind. ^9:40Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said unto him, Are we also blind? ^9:41Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye would have no sin: but now ye say, We see: your sin remaineth.

1. Dost thou believe on the Son of God? Jesus had awakened the man's intellectual understanding, but the awakening was not complete until the man had been grounded in the divine Sonship.
2. And he worshipped him. Was Jesus referring here to his own personality? It is quite evident that Jesus was instructing the man to have faith in his indwelling Lord. This is borne out by the answer which the man gave in verse 38: “Lord, I believe.”